Troy waits and base measures

With the imminent return to state cabinet of former West Australian treasurer and legendary bad boy
Troy Buswell
, the Machiavellian tricks have begun.

Premier
Colin Barnett
has announced that Buswell will be returning some time in December to a portfolio that has yet to be announced.

But as the cabinet table is full, one minister will have to make way.

The waggish Buswell was dumped in April over a misunderstanding about taxpayer funds used while he was having an affair with a Greens MP, Adele Carles.

It turns out the former treasurer fessed up for nothing, given he was later cleared as he was on official business and in fact didn’t claim his full entitlements.

However, nervous ministers worried about the axe or enterprising Liberal backbenchers searching for a promotion have been up to no good in a last-ditch attempt to block Buswell’s run.

Someone, or some, in the Liberal Party this week leaked to the opposition details of a recent meeting when Barnett apparently boasted of getting the now independent MP Carles to vote with the government on budget matters and confidence motions in return for providing her with a fresh lick of paint for her electorate office and an extra staffer.

The leak went an extra step and suggested Buswell had been a key in sealing the deal – heavily denied because he is now an item with Carles.

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All this has created denials and terrible red faces among the government and prompted Barnett to give his troops a “vigorous" half-time, footy-style address to, um, shut up.

Horrible gossips in the Liberal Party have been musing on the identity of the leaker. Past anti-Buswell plotters and under-pressure Water and Police Ministers
Graham Jacobs
and
Rob Johnson
have naturally come in for suspicion.

As has young Turk and ambitious backbencher Joe Francis.

Francis is an old school pal of federal Opposition Leader
Tony Abbott
.

His political career highlight to date is climbing the stage ahead of
John Howard
’s farewell speech on election night in 2007 to rally the faithful.